Windows 11 has seen some critique for its bloat since its launch, so NTDEV has released a version of it that is only 100MB in size. This miraculous accomplishment isn’t the first time NTDEV has compressed Windows 11. But this recent project of his, though fascinating, isn’t really made for actual use. Naturally, only so much can be squeezed out in 100MB, and this version of Windows 11 is more CLI, less Windows.
What do you get in a 100MB version of Windows 11?
So, what exactly do you get in such a small version of Windows 11? Not a whole lot, understandably enough. NTDEV’s newest project is more of a show of his skills than an actual operating system. For starters, the entirety of the Windows 11 GUI has been completely removed. All you get is a command line interface, which is sure to be quite nostalgic for users who have been around since the DOS era.
To operate this version of Windows, you’ll need to learn how to navigate a CLI. Commands, paths, executing executables, it’s essentially DOS. Though you do get the compatibility of Windows 11 for applications. Even users who disliked the GUI of Windows 11 would probably prefer it over no GUI at all. Obviously, security measures have all been removed too. There are no updates, no live threat detection, and no scans for malware. It might not have a lot of practical use in the real world, but it’s still a remarkable achievement sure to get praise from techies.
NTDEV Windows 11 projects
As is evident from this recent take on Windows 11 from NTDEV, the YouTuber likes to push his skills to the limit. Before this, he released Tiny11, which was a much lighter version of Windows 11. Tiny11 reduced a lot of the bloat, as well as a lot of the hardware requirements needed to run Windows 11. This was a more practical project, something that actually sees use.
After releasing it, NTDEV kept working on Tiny11 for a bit. For example, back in November of 2023, Tiny11 saw an update. This update not only reduced the size even more, it added support for Copilot as well as Windows 11 updates. NTDEV has done similar things in the past for other versions of Windows as well. Tiny10 is a streamlined, bloat-free version of Windows 10 similar to Tiny11. Tiny10 is a great choice for people limited to very old hardware.
As Microsoft continues to add more to its software, some users become more wary. Tiny10, Tiny11, and now this 100MB version are sure to inspire more projects like these. And there will always be a subset of the population that will cling to the good old days.
2024-01-26 15:06:49